Bihar's Post-SIR Electoral Rolls Released; TVK Vijay Released First Statement After Stampede Tragedy; And More

Bihar Electoral Rolls Post-SIR Released: 7.42 Crore Voters After 22-Year Revision

The Election Commission released Bihar's final electoral rolls Tuesday, listing 7.42 crore voters following the state's first special intensive revision (SIR) in 22 years, ahead of assembly elections.

The state had 7.89 crore voters on June 24, 2025. After removing 65 lakh names in the August 1 draft, the final list added 21.53 lakh and deleted 3.66 lakh names.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar thanked Bihar's officials, booth-level agents, and political parties for completing the exercise. Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal said voters could verify details at voters.eci.gov.in.

Eligible persons can apply for inclusion up to 10 days before the nomination deadline. Those dissatisfied with decisions may appeal to the District Magistrate and subsequently the CEO under the Representation of the People Act.

The exercise involved 243 Electoral Registration Officers, 2,976 assistants, one lakh booth-level officers, and 1.6 lakh booth agents from 12 political parties.

BJP welcomed the rolls as strengthening democracy, while JD(U) criticized opposition "vote theft" allegations. RJD said it would issue a statement after reviewing with booth-level representatives.

Two Arrested in Connection with Assam Singer Zubeen Garg's Death

Police arrested North East India Festival (NEIF) organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen Garg's manager Siddhartha Sharma in connection with the singer's death in Singapore.

Mahanta was detained at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport upon arrival from Singapore, while Sharma was arrested from a Gurugram apartment. Both were brought to Guwahati early Wednesday morning, police confirmed.

Garg died by drowning in the sea in Singapore on September 19. The Assam government formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team led by Special DGP M.P. Gupta to probe the death.

The SIT issued notices to several individuals, including Mahanta, Sharma, Singapore Assam Association members, and festival attendees, to record statements. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Interpol lookout notices were issued against both men, directing them to appear before CID by October 6.

Other developments

'Do Whatever You Want To Me, Don't Touch My Cadre': TVK Chief Vijay Breaks Silence on Karur Stampede

In a video message released on Tuesday, 30 September, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay broke his silence on the deadly stampede at his party's rally in Karur, which has claimed 41 lives till now.

The incident, occurring on September 27, 2025, has sparked widespread controversy and a judicial probe.

Expressing profound grief, Vijay stated in the video, "I have never faced such a painful situation in my life. My heart is filled with pain, only pain. I express my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones… I know that no word can ever compensate for the loss. "

The stampede, which injured nearly 100 people, including women and children, unfolded amid chaos at the Velusamypuram venue.

Addressing criticism for leaving the site abruptly, Vijay said, "I am also just a human. How could I leave Karur when so many people were being affected? But to prevent any further untoward incident or panic, I avoided going back".

He questioned why the tragedy struck only in Karur, noting smooth campaigns in five other districts, and hinted at 'truths' emerging soon.

He also dared the Tamil Nadu state government: "If you want revenge, do whatever you want to me, don't touch my cadre. I will either be at my home or the office, you can do anything to me".

Uttar Pradesh: Eight Illegal Properties Linked To Maulana Tauqeer Identified, Demolition Expected

Authorities have identified eight allegedly illegal properties linked to associates of Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan for potential demolition, following violent clashes on September 26 when over 2,000 people gathered outside a mosque, leading to stone-pelting and police injuries.

Joint inspections by Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) and district teams in Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and old city areas found structures allegedly built without approved maps, with some encroaching on government land.

"Illegal constructions on government and ceiling land will not be spared," stated BDA Vice-Chairman Dr. Manikandan A.

Authorities recently sealed a property linked to gangster Atiq Ahmad's brother-in-law and discovered connections between Khan's aides and criminal activities. The Municipal Corporation marked several shops for demolition.

Police filed 10 FIRs against 180 named and 2,500 unnamed individuals, arresting Khan and over 60 others. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warned of strict action against rioters.

Navi Mumbai Airport Poised to Hit Phase 1 Capacity in First Year of Operations

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), delayed over a year from its original launch date, could reach its Phase 1 capacity of 20 million passengers annually in its inaugural year, based on airline announcements.

IndiGo plans to start with 18 daily departures to 15 destinations, scaling to 79 (including 14 international) by November 2025, and 140 by Winter 2026, offering 14,694 daily departure seats.

Akasa Air announced 100+ weekly domestic departures initially, expanding to 300+ domestic and 50+ international weekly departures—translating to 9,300 daily seats.

Air India Express will launch with 20 daily departures to 15 cities, scaling to 55 (including five international) by mid-2026 and 60 by Winter 2026, offering 10,230 daily seats.

Combined, these three airlines could provide 10.25 lakh monthly departure seats. With an 80 per cent load factor, this translates to 16.4 lakh passengers monthly—matching NMIA's Phase 1 capacity of 1.6 million passengers per month.